With more people doing their holiday shopping online than ever before, the convenience and lowered stress of never having to step foot in a store can be soured if you end up the victim of a "porch pirate".

The technology that's exploded in just the last two years or so has made it easier than ever to safeguard your online shopping haul.

Between tech and some common sense practices, here are a few ways that you can protect your precious cargo:

Porch Cameras

Affordable security cameras like the Ring doorbell camera and the Nest outdoor camera (anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on features) make it easier than ever to see what's happening on your patio from anywhere.

Although, you could also argue that those just make it easier to watch someone steal your packages in real time. So let's also look at physical security.


Personal Lockboxes

From big crates that work like traditional mailboxes (remember those?) where the delivery person drops the package in the top and you retrieve your goodies with the key, to high tech app-enabled locks (you may have seen this one on Shark Tank), if you get a lot of deliveries year-round, investing in your own personal locker could be a way to go.


Amazon Lockers

If you're doing your holiday shopping on Amazon, did you know that you can have your packages delivered to secure lockers? They're not terribly widespread yet, but with lockers in Toms River, Bayville, and Jackson, plus a few others scattered throughout Monmouth County too, if you're near one, they could be a good option for you.

The only downside is that these obviously only help you when you shop on Amazon.


Get Deliveries Somewhere Safe

I live in a condo, so I don't have a back porch to hide a package on, they literally just get dropped right by the front door for all to see (sometimes when I'm even home and the delivery person can't be bothered to knock on the door, but that's a different rant).

Add to that the fact that I work later into the evening than most, having packages delivered to my home is basically a roll of the dice.

Thankfully, I have family nearby and I'm lucky to work at an office that doesn't mind occasional deliveries for employees.


Hopefully, these suggestions will give you some strategies to keep your packages where they belong, in your hands!

If you still end up being a victim of a delivery Grinch, you can always do what a friend of mine did and get revenge with a clever (and stinky) trap, but I don't make any guarantees that it'll end well!

How do you keep your package deliveries safe? Chime in on our Facebook page and share your strategies!

 

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